JAPAN IN A NUTSHELL

Have you ever wondered what living in Japan looks like? And what do Japanese people think about their country? What do they like the most, what is suprising or scary for them? In the post below you will find answers to these questions and many more...  After reading them , that far country will become closer to you. 

What in your opinion is the strangest thing to eat in your country?

Nanami: I would say "natto", which is made of soy beans and is really sticky. We eat this with rice. I personally like it but for some people it smells bad and tastes disgusting. One more thing, especially in Hokkaido(where we live) I think "ika no odorigui" is strange food. It's a "living" squid. I've never tried it before but I feel awful to eat it.

Emi: Natto!! Natto tastes a little weird.

What is the most popular thing to eat eg. for second breakfast?

N.: I've never had second breakfast before so I'm not sure for that but... I'll think about it

E.: In fact, eating a second breakfast is not common in Japan. Also tipping is not common.

What is your favourite tradition in your country?

N.: My favourite tradition is the tea ceremony called Sado. During the Sado, the master of the ceremony invites guests and serves Japanese traditional tea called matcha. I think the ceremony is based on Japanese spirit of hospitality.

What do relationships in family look like..are you really close with your relatives? 

N.: It depends on each family but my family is really close. We travel almost every year even when everyone isn't busy. We also chat a lot. In general, the form of family is changing. In the past, Japanese people were really strict about respect to senior people even in a family. But now it is becoming closer and sometimes it looks like relations between friends. Some parents cannot scold their children.

E.:  In my family, we are really close. We travel every year. Now I live alone because my hometown is far away from my university. So when I go back to my hometown, we go shopping and we talk a lot.  Of course, I call my family on the phone every day.

What kind of job do you dream of?

N.: I'd like to be a teacher in a high school.

E.: I want to become the government employee. In general, government employees are stable in various aspects such as employment, salary, social security and so on. That is why I'd like to have this job.

At what age is it popular to be married ?

N.: Recently around 30.

E.: According to the Internet, the average age of getting married is about 30 years old.

What is your idea about Poland, your first impression? What do you know or what have you read?

N.: Relatively bigger country in Europe.

Beautiful and colorful views and traditional clothes.

Researching about Poland was actually our first homework for this course.

E.: I think there are many fashionable and historical buildings in Poland! If I had a chance, I wanna visit Poland.

What do you think about working and work in general? Is it important in your life?

N.: I think working is one way to contribute to the society. I also believe we learn many things through working such as teamwork and endurance.In my opinion work must be tough but at the same time it must be worth doing.

E.: In Japan, we have to work hard so many people work overtime. Because of hard working, they feel stress. Some workers try to commit suicide. After getting pregnant, most of women quit their job.

What is the strangest thing about your country? 

N.: I would say Japan is a bit too willing to accept different cultures. It's of course good but sometimes I feel odd. We cerebrate new year at shrine (Shinto). We

enjoy Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's day (Christians). Some people cerebrate wedding at temple (Buddhists) and others do it at church (Christians).

Actually only few people know the background of each event.

E.: Japan has a rigid hierarchical relationship. So when I meet my seniors, I have to bow and greet. Also I have to use formal language. This is normal in Japan. But when I was a junior high school student, my friends were bullied. They did not respect their seniors. So their seniors ignored my friends and left my friends out. In Japan, seniors have strong power and the young cannot resist their seniors. It is sometimes strange to me. Because of hierarchy, I cannot claim my ideas.

What is the most beautiful building that you have seen Or know? What do you think about architecture?

N.: Kitara, which is the concert hall. I like high ceilings and wooden, artistic walls.

 E.: I like Itsukushima shrine. It appears as it would float on the sea!

What do you wear during summer festival?

E.: In Japan, we wear "Yukata" during summer festival. Yukata is a casual and single-layered cotton kimono! It is like one-piece. Yukata is only worn in summer! Also men wear Zinbei! Both of them are comfortable. Zinbei consists of tops and pants. Sometimes we wear something called "happi".

ZINBEI, YUKATA, HAPPI

What do you eat during the festival?

E.: Takoyaki - pancake balls with octopus. We eat this with special soy sause.  

Choco-banana - banana covered with chocolate and some toppings. 

Ringo ame - apples coated with syrup. 

Turkish ice cream tornado potatos - fried potatos shape round and round.

Do you play any games during festival?

E.: Yes, of course. We can enjoy Katanuki. It is like candy with etched image. If we can extract the image using a pin, we win the prize! 

In addition, we can enjoy goldfish scooping. This is a game in which we scoop goldfish with a paper scoop from a water tank.

Have you ever tried sushi in another country? (not in Japan)

E.: Not yet. but I've seen actual sushi in the US.

N.: No! When I was in Canada, I saw sushi at the Chinatown. But I did not try it.

What is the most popular dish to eat in your country? Is it sushi?

E.: Curry and rice I guess! It was adopted from India and Japanese people arranged the taste. We cook it at home, at camping, and so on. Sushi is also popular but it costs little bit more. It is popular for family to go and eat sushi after kids' school events or on the anniversary.

N.: Maybe it is famous for not only sushi but also curry and rice. 

What do you think about education system in Japan? Is it good or do you think that something needs a change?

E.: I don't think education in Japan is very good. In many classes we do only input, so students can't develop their creativity. For example, they are not good at giving their opinions, discussion, and presentation. They gradually feel like "oh we only have to memorize what teacher said or something written in the textbook. It's totally not useful for the future, we study only for exams." Also, teachers have too much amount of work. Some parents and the government demand too much from teachers. As a result, some teachers can't enjoy teaching and the students don't enjoy the class either.

N.: I think the education system in Japan is not good. We do not have many chances to discuss things so this makes me feel bored or sleepy. That is why Japanese can not speak English well. Also we cannot claim our opinions. In addition, I think Japan should adopt grade skipping. By doing this, we can improve our skills.

What do you think about Polish tourists in Japan?

E.: I don't know... I can't tell where the tourists come from exactly. I think tourists from western countries tend to have better manners than those who from eastern countries like in volume of chatting.

N.: I have never seen Polish tourists in Japan. But I always talk with many international students. So I think western people tend to listen to other people ideas. Also their manner is good. I often see Chinese people who speak loudly in the train. This is rude in Japan.

Is it something important in your country’s history, which everybody should know?

E.: I'm not really good at history but I think around WW1 and WW2 is the most important part because at that time Japanese people made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot from them.

N.: In Japan, there are many historical places such as shrines and temples. When we were junior high school students, we learned why there are historical places and how to build them. Also they are very famous so many people visit them. So it is good to learn Japanese history.

We have been wondering what your typical day looks like? What time do you get up and what time do your classes at university start and end? What do you do after school and at the weekends?

E.: Depends on the day!
In my case, I always get up at 6:30 in the morning. And I cook breakfast. My classes starts 8:50 or 10:30. It takes 1hour and a half per 1 class. I finish my classes at 14:30 or 17:40. So after that, I study at the library or talk with international students. 
At the weekend, I always go back to my hometown and work! I enjoy my school life!

So, is your knowledge about Japan bigger after reading our article? Is there anything that you find really interesting? Or maybe you want to know even more about this country? Don’t forget to let us know in the comment section below! :)